Arizona State last season thrived on defensive pressure. The Sun Devils ranked first nationally in tackles for a loss and second in sacks, making Will Sutton and Carl Bradford one of the more-feared duos in the country.

Through five games this season, ASU is not on the same level. Entering Saturday night’s Pac-12 home contest against Colorado, the Sun Devils rank 75th nationally in tackles for a loss (with 5.6 per game) and 96th in sacks (1.40). ASU’s starting front seven — lauded nationally entering the season — has produced just five sacks.

Cause for concern?

Not yet, Todd Graham said, but the Sun Devils need to do better.

“We have to up that productivity,” the second-year ASU coach said. “A lot of people look at (the statistics) and say, ‘Where were you last year at this point with TFLs and sacks?’ … It wasn’t even close. But we were also playing different (opponents). So now we’re not playing different people. We’re playing the same people we played last year, so we better see that productivity going way up for us to be successful. Where we’ve got to get better is creating those things we created last year.”

Several reasons have contributed to ASU’s statistical drop, including:

-- Competition. According to the Sagarin computer ratings, ASU has played the nation’s seventh-toughest schedule. Last year at this point, the Sun Devils had played Northern Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Utah and California, none of which finished the season in a bowl game. This season they have opened against Sacramento State, Wisconsin, Stanford, USC and Notre Dame.

-- Scheme. ASU has played mostly run-first teams — Wisconsin, Stanford and USC all have top 50 rushing offenses — that have gotten the ball out quickly in passing situations. Many have used max-protection, double-teaming Sutton as often as possible.

-- Scouting. Senior linebacker Chris Young has said it more than once. Last year’s attacking defense might have caught opponents by surprise. This season they’re prepared. “They practice, too,” he said.

-- Big offensive lines: Sutton doesn’t think ASU will face another offensive line that offers both the size and athletic ability that the Sun Devils saw vs. Wisconsin, Stanford and Notre Dame. In other words, the worst might be behind them.

“The good thing is we’ve played against some top O-lines, so we know going into games that if we play like we play against the top O-lines then nobody can block us,” Sutton said.

Still, the numbers are startling. Last season, Sutton and Bradford combined for 44 tackles for a loss and 24 1/2 sacks. This season they’ve combined for 7 1/2 and three.

“Yeah, it’s frustrating, because you’re like, ‘Man, why can’t I get to this guy?’’’ said Bradford, a junior Devil-backer. “But the quick game, the scheming, the double-teaming, the great offenses; it’s a little bit harder this year. But we’ll get there.”

ASU has made adjustments. The Sun Devils placed Sutton and Bradford on opposite sides to combat protection tracking toward Sutton. In the second half against Notre Dame, they went to their “stack” defense, in which Bradford lines up as a middle linebacker. Then before the snap, Bradford bolts to one side of the line or the other, attacking from the edge.

“I think that helped a little because they didn’t know where I was coming from,” Bradford said.

Sutton said that if he and Bradford receive so much attention, someone else on the line simply needs to make a play. Senior Davon Coleman did so at times against Notre Dame. Junior Marcus Hardison has shown improvement.

ASU also could get a boost against Colorado with the return of sophomore defensive tackle Jaxon Hood, who missed two games because of a knee injury. As they prepare for the second half of their schedule, the Sun Devils expect to be more productive.

“I’m not concerned,” co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Paul Randolph said. “I know our guys are capable of pressuring. We feel like we still are. We do it with a number of people, which we always have and we’re going to continue to do.”

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